Recent advances in hearing conservation programmes: A systematic review.
Nomfundo F Moroe, Katijah Khoza-Shangase
PMID 32129659WHAT IT FOUND
A review of 26 studies identified seven advances in hearing conservation, including daily noise monitoring devices and hidden hearing loss tests.
Most evidence comes from high-income countries, leaving a gap in practical application for low- and middle-income regions like South Africa.
Key findings
01The review identified seven thematic areas of advancement: metrics, pharmacological interventions, artificial neural networks, audiology assessment measures, noise monitoring, conceptual approaches, and buying quiet.
02Daily noise exposure monitoring devices allow workers to track exposure inside hearing protection, with evidence suggesting this can reduce occupational noise-induced hearing loss risk.
03Research into 'hidden hearing loss' uses auditory brainstem response measures to detect cochlear neuropathology in workers with normal standard audiograms.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The review found a significant geographical bias, with most evidence coming from high-income countries, limiting its direct applicability to low- and middle-income contexts like South Africa. The included studies were heterogeneous, preventing a meta-analysis or quantitative synthesis of effect sizes. Many of the 'advances' discussed, particularly pharmacological ones, are still in experimental or pre-clinical stages and not yet available for clinical practice. The review relies on narrative synthesis, which may introduce subjective interpretation of the included studies.
Declared interests
The text does not explicitly state funding sources or conflicts of interest declarations for the review itself, though it references authors from the same group (Moroe et al.) in the introduction and included studies.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the identification of 'pharmacological interventions' or 'hair cell regeneration' as evidence that these treatments are currently available for patients. The review explicitly states that no pharmacologic agent is yet approved by the FDA for clinical use to prevent or treat noise-induced hearing loss.